The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-06-02
HOW SANTA CLAUS CAME TO
SIMPSONS BAR.

aUW DAN 4 OLhUO OAMI III |
SIMPSONS BAR.
BY BRET HARTE.
copyrighted by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., and |
published by arrangement with them.l
1t had been raining in the valley of the
Sacramento. The North Fork had over
flowed its banks and Rattlesnake creek was
impossible The few powders that had
marked the summer ford at Simpsons Cross
ing were obliterated by vast sheet of water
stretching to the foothills The up stage was
stopped at Grangers; the last mail had been
abandoned in tile tules, the rider swimming
for his life "An area" remarked The Sierra
Avalanche, with pensive local pride, "as
large as the state of Massachusetts, is now
under water"
Nor was the weather any better in the foot
hills. The mud lay deep on the mountain
road; wagons that neither physical force nor
moral objurgation could move from the evil
ways into which they had fallen encountered
the track, and the way to Simpsons Bar was
indicated by broken down teams and hard
swearing And farther on, cut off and mac
cessible, rained upon and bedraggled, smitten
by Ugh winds and threatened by high water,
Simpsons Bar, on the eve of Christmas day,
1862, clung like a swallows nest to the rocky
entablature and splintered capitals of Table
mountain, and shook in the blast.
A.. o;rrtt he
few lights cleaned through the mist from the
windows of cabins on either side of the high,
way now crossed and quilted by lawless
streams and swept by marauding winds
Happily most of the population were gath
cred at Thompsons store, clustered around
red hot stove, at which they silently spat in
some accepted sense of social communion
that, perhaps, rendered conversation unnec-
essary. Indeed, most methods of diversion
had long since been exhausted at Simpsons
Bar; high water had suspended the regular
occupations ON gulch and on river, and a con-
sequent lack of money and whisky had taken
the zest from most illegitimate recreation.
Even Mr.. Hamlin was fain to leave the Bar
with $50 in his pocket-the only amount
actually realized of the large sums won by
him in the successful exercise of his arduous
profession. "Ef ] was asked" he remarked
somewhat later, "ef / was asked to pint out
purity little village where a retired sport as
didn't care for money could exercise hisself,
frequent and lively, I'd say Simpsons Bar;
but for young man with large family de-
pending on his exertions, it don't pay"
AS Mr.. Hamlins family consisted
mainly of female adults, this remark
is quoted rather to show the breadth of
his humor than the exact extent of his re-
sponsibility.
Howbeit, the unconscious objects of this
satire sat that evening in the istless apathy
begotten of idleness and lack of excitement.
Even the sudden splashing of hoofs before the
door did not arouse them. Dick Bullen alone
paused in the act of scraping out his pipe,
and lifted his head, but no one Of the group
indicated any interest in, or recognition Of,
the man who entered.
! 1t was figure familiar enough to the COM
pany, and known in Simpsons Bar as "The
| Old Man" A man of perhaps SO years;
! grizzled and scant of hair, but still fresh and
/ y
but not very powerful sympathy, with a
chameleon like aptitude for taking on the
shade and color of contiguous moods and feel
ings. He had evidently just left some hilari-
GUS companions, and did not at first notice
the gravity of the group, but slapped the
shoulder of the nearest man jocularly, and
threw himself into vacant chair
tha
know Smiley, over yar-Jim Smiley-fun-
niest man in the Bar? Well, Jim was jest
telling the richest yarn about
"Smiley's - fool, +" interrupted a gloomy
voice.
"a particular - SKUNK" added another
in sepulchral accents.
A silence followed these positive statements
The Old Man glanced quickly around the
group. Then his face slowly changed
"That's So" he said refectively, after a pause
"certingly sort of skunk and suthin of q
fool. In course" He was silent for mo
nent as in painful contemplation of the un
savofiness and folly of the unpopular Smiley
"Dismal weather, amt it2" he added now
fully embarked on the current of prevailing
sentiment "Dlighty rough papers on the
boys, and no show for money this season
And to-morrows Christmas"
There was movement among the men al
this announcement, but whether of satisfac
ton or disgust was not plain. eyes, con
tinued the Old Man in the lugubrious ton(
he had, within the last few moments, un
consciously adopted-"yes, Christmas, anC
to-night's Christmas eye. Ye see, boys,
kinder thought-that is, l sorter had an idee
jest passin' like, you know-that may be ye't
all like to come over to my house to-nigh
and have a sort of tear round. But l sup
pose, now, you wouldn't? Don't feel like it
maybe'" he added with anxious sympathy
peering into the faces of his companions
"Well, / don't know" responded Ton
Flynn with some cheerfulness "P'r'aps W,
may. But how about your wife, Old Man
What does she say to it?"
} The Old Man hesitated. His con1ugal ex
perience had not been a happy one, and tn
fact was known to Simpsons Bar His frs
wife, a delicate, pretty little woman, hat
suffered keenly and secretly from the jealou
, suspicious of her husband, until one day b
! invited the whole Bar to his house to expos
} her infidelity. On arriving the party fount
: the shy, petite creature quietly engaged il
her household duties, and retired abashe
and discomfited But the sensitive VIC
man did not easily recover from til
extraordinary shock of this outrage
1t was with difficulty she regained he
= equanimity sufficiently to release her love
, from the closet in which he was conceale
; and escape with him. She left a boy of
years to comfort her bereaYed husband Th
Old Mans present wife had been his cool
! She was large, loyal and aggressive
t J Before he could reply, Joe Dimmick sue
Es6s e z 3 II "a